# How many times do you relite?



## FriendlyFire (Jun 11, 2007)

Hi, I tried a bowl this morning, I got this three piece tool to work with which is prety good
I had one issue I needed to relitle alot, what causes that? Can it be because the Tabbaco was laying in my freezing car? The tabbaco is fresh I got it on wendsday, ahhhhhhhhhhh what a great smell.

The pipe in the picture is just to show the shape, minw has ingraving.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

many reasons.
1. tobacco humidity (normally a problem if it's too moist)
2. pipe could just suck at smoking
3. pipe not broken in
4. bad job packing tobacco

i've said it before, any joe blow can smoke a cigar, it takes skill to smoke a pipe. it's an art, it takes practice, it takes repitition....

lastly, as long as the tobacco burns and tastes good to you while it burns, that's all that matters. how many times you relite only matter if you're in a smoking contest.


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## billhud (Dec 31, 2007)

Unless I set the pipe down to allow it to burn out, I almost never need to relight.


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## Arizona (Jul 19, 2007)

As IHT said above, it's not a big deal and there are a number of factors that could cause this. Just tamp and relite, dont worry about it. 

If you wonder why, the best likelihood/cause is how it was packed. 

I usually relite 3 or 4 times by the end of a bowl. I dont usually tamp in the middle of a smoke, just smoke til it starts to get close to hot and then set the pipe down for a short rest to cool down. When I'm ready to smoke again I tamp and relite.


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## Blaylock-cl (Apr 28, 2006)

IHT said:


> many reasons.
> 1. tobacco humidity (normally a problem if it's too moist)
> 2. pipe could just suck at smoking
> 3. pipe not broken in
> ...


:tpd: There are many factors that go into getting your pipe to smoke with few relites. For me, it's hit or miss sometimes, but I find that I'm getting fewer relites as I gain more experience.

I found this post helpful:

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showpost.php?p=165624&postcount=1



billhud said:


> Unless I set the pipe down to allow it to burn out, I almost never need to relight.


Care to share your "technique"? It would save me a whole bunch of matches!


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## Nutiket_32 (Oct 26, 2006)

For most blends, I have to relight about halfway down and again at the bottom, especially if the blend smokes wet. I might just be bad with flakes, but I tend to have to relight them much more often (4-5 times) since I don't seem to pack well.


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## billhud (Dec 31, 2007)

Blake Lockhart said:


> :tpd: Care to share your "technique"? It would save me a whole bunch of matches!


I simply do a three-load pack and tamp as I get to the lighter packed tobacco toward the bottom of the bowl. The pipe will let you know when to tamp as the draw will become too easy or the extra air entering the bowl will sound in the pipe. Once you begin to pack consistently, the "trick", if you will, is to know when and how much to tamp. Never really studied it. That's just the way it always has been for me.


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## Blaylock-cl (Apr 28, 2006)

Lately, most of my relights come in the beginning... especially when the tobacco expands...until I get some good heat going. The tamping definately seems to help through the rest of the bowl.


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## JacksonCognac (Nov 12, 2007)

as a relatively inexperienced smoker, I find myself relighting half a dozen times on a good day(this is a guess - I've never actually counted) with most of that towards the end of the bowl. Lately I've been having a lot more good days too (there were periods of mild frustration for sure). With that said my technique still needs tweaking... which will come with experience.


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## JoelS (Nov 28, 2007)

I relight as often as necessary. This seems to be the biggest frustration for folks that come over from cigars.

In order to get the best flavor from the tobacco, it needs to be just smouldering. At that point, relights can be common. Just part of pipe smoking. 

Getting just the right humidity in the tobacco and the right pack on the pipe is hit or miss.


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## JPH (Jun 30, 2006)

There has been times when I didn't have to relight at all.... and others (which is More common) where I have to relight several times....

I always blame it on "wet tobacco" whether that is the issue or not....

I do get a little annoyed sometimes having to relight a billion times, but hell.... usually when I'm smoking a pipe I'm not particularly busy....


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## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

I usually don't need to relight more than once. Unless I get over anxious and don't let the baccy dry before I pack the bowl, in those instances I can fight with the pipe the whole bowl, it's a pain. I usually wait now and go do something else while the baccy drys.


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## Óðibjörn (Dec 13, 2007)

If the problem is your packing technique (I found that it was mine at first when I had the constant relight problem).There is a useful three video series on youtube about packing a pipe. The franks Method:

Video One
Video Two
Video Three

Of course it's probably best to use matches to light your pipe right now to keep from burning the inside of your bowl or it's rim.


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

As others have mentioned, it could be a variety of issues that cause you to relite too often. It's not uncommon, for even the most experienced pipe smoker, to relite a couple of times through out a bowl. IMHO, the three issues that most often cause you to relite often are:

1. The tobacco is too moist.
Unless the blend I am about to smoke is on the dry side already, I usually take a pinch, the amount that will fill the bowl, and let it sit on a piece of tin foil or whatever, for about 20 minutes, before packing my pipe.

2. How tightly you have packed your pipe.

I try to pack my pipe on the loose side, not too tight. Then after firing up, I can adjust the pack with my tamper.

3. How effectively you use your tamper. 
Practicing with and learning how to effectively use a tamper is very important. IMHO, It can make the difference in your overall success or failure in becoming a happy, satisfied pipe smoker.


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## Nutiket_32 (Oct 26, 2006)

Óðibjörn said:


> If the problem is your packing technique (I found that it was mine at first when I had the constant relight problem).There is a useful three video series on youtube about packing a pipe. The franks Method:
> 
> Video One
> Video Two
> ...


These are very helpful videos. Not to threadjack, but does anyone know what kind of pipe he is using?


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

I cannot tell the brand of the pipe, however, if your referring to the shape of the pipe, it appears to be an "Apple" or maybe even a large "Prince" style pipe!


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## JacksonCognac (Nov 12, 2007)

I'm gonna have to take everyone's advice and try to dry my tobacco a bit before smoking. This thread may have been the rosetta stone that solved my relight issues.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

It depends entirely on what type of tobacco you're smoking and the pipe you're smoking it in. If the pipe isn't well insulated with cake, the briar will leech heat away from the outer edge of the tobacco. In that case the tobacco burns well in the center but not so well on the edges. I smoke until the tobacco heats up and then let it go out before doing a relight. When I relight, I leave the burned ash in the center to prevent the tobacco under it from relighting which forces the tobacco around the edge to light and begin burning down to the level where the center burned out. About halfway down I dump most of the ash and relight if needed. This I learned from *P&T magazine*

Different tobacco cuts require different packing methods. I'm an ace with SG flakes. I just had a bowl wet from the tin and firmly packed with only two relights in 45 minutes. Course cut ribbon, especially latakia blends are also easy for me. Fine cut ribbon is a bitch and I hate it, but I will figure it out eventually.

Concentrate on the flavor and if its impossible to keep the flavor but you keep needing to relight over and over, just dump the bowl and start again 'cause you're gonna fight it all the way to the bottom and won't be able to enjoy it anyway.

*Generally if I have to relight more than three or four times in the top half of the bowl, I dump it and start over.*


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## Joan (Dec 1, 2007)

Mad Hatter said:


> Concentrate on the flavor and if its impossible to keep the flavor but you keep needing to relight over and over, just dump the bowl and start again 'cause you're gonna fight it all the way to the bottom and won't be able to enjoy it anyway.
> 
> *Generally if I have to relight more than three or four times in the top half of the bowl, I dump it and start over.*


+1

:tu That there is Brilliant Advice!

Life it too short to waste time on bad cigars. Or too many relights.


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## jgros001 (Jun 14, 2005)

Usually a few relights per bowl, one of the things I have enjoyed since taking up the pipe is that there is a challenge and patience involved. I don't have it down yet.....but I am working. Something that has helped me is to take a slow puff as I tamp. I also am starting to realize that a relight is not always necessary as the pipe does not produce as much smoke as a cigar (I think).



IHT said:


> i've said it before, any joe blow can smoke a cigar, it takes skill to smoke a pipe. it's an art, it takes practice, it takes repitition....


I hate the 'great post' posts but this is a good one (not great but definitely good).


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## IceChant (Dec 7, 2007)

After hard time at the beginning, now I'm able to smoke pipe with only one relight but it took me some time to get used to it.


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## Bridges (Jan 6, 2008)

It all depends. I'll set mine down and go off for a while, then come back tamp it down and relight. It just depends on the tobac, situation, puffing, etc... Don't worry about it too much. Just experiment and figure out what works.:2


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## Will_S (Jan 2, 2008)

I counted a couple of times. I used wooden kitchen matches to light my pipe and it wasnt unusual to see 10 of them in the ashtray. So 2 to get started - 10 total = as many as 8 or maybe more.

I can recall bowls going by with only a couple of relights. Alot depends on the tobacco. I like to smoke tobacco almost bone dry. I smoke mostly flakes. Rubbed out that is.


Edit: Depends on the size of the pipe too. Larger diameter bowls and larger bowls in general go out more often imo


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## FriendlyFire (Jun 11, 2007)

Wow thank you all for your reply's I finaly am up to two pipes allready
I went too two difrent tabbaco shops in NYc and they showed me how to pack and light, intresting one guy told me to pick the tobbaco after a while tap it and then dump the ash, the other ones claimed that the taping is enofgh because the asshes on top will help it burn longer.
I'm learning,


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## Will_S (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm in the occaisional dump camp, some pipes, especially some of the large italian jobs I have, are so deep that you could end up with quite a layer of ashes between the fire and the tobacco on relights.


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## dhaus (Jan 16, 2007)

Wow, I thought I was doing something wrong with 4-5 relights! I'm learning too. Most of my tobacco is now dry enough, although St. James Woods can still be bit of a problem - even after 8 months in the open tin. I think I may have been puffing too slow - but it is a fine line between puffing too slow and puffing too fast. I'm also discovering the method of packing that is simply dump the stuff in the pipe, fold in from the edges with index finger, tamp a bit, and let her rip. Sort of a quick and dirty Frank method. Sometimes one can think too much about the details and lose sight of enjoying the pipe.


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## paperairplane (Nov 8, 2007)

I really find minimal need for a tamper. I use one just to be 'fiddling' around, but for the most part it is unnecessary.

I have had good results by getting a good char light on - then leave the pipe alone for a minute or two - then one more light and I am good until I hit 2/3 or 3/4 of the way down.

Get some prince albert - if you can't keep that lit....


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## Will_S (Jan 2, 2008)

dhaus said:


> Sometimes one can think too much about the details and lose sight of enjoying the pipe.


Words to live by indeed, with cigars, pipes or life.


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## billhud (Dec 31, 2007)

paperairplane said:


> I really find minimal need for a tamper. I use one just to be 'fiddling' around, but for the most part it is unnecessary.
> 
> I have had good results by getting a good char light on - then leave the pipe alone for a minute or two - then one more light and I am good until I hit 2/3 or 3/4 of the way down.


Which is normally where the tobacco is packed lighter and needs tamping.


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## icculus1946 (Apr 24, 2006)

Nutiket_32 said:


> These are very helpful videos. Not to threadjack, but does anyone know what kind of pipe he is using?


In the video he states it is a Reiner Barbi.


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## FriendlyFire (Jun 11, 2007)

JohnnyFlake said:


> I cannot tell the brand of the pipe, however, if your referring to the shape of the pipe, it appears to be an "Apple" or maybe even a large "Prince" style pipe!


My irst pipe is a medeco with a long filter


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## tfar (Dec 27, 2007)

I'm a total newbie at pipes after smoking cigars for more than ten years. I have smoked six or seven bowls so far on three different briars. The relighting and packing is definitely a challenge. All the pipes are new and on the big side (well two of them) and the tobacco is fine to medium cut ribbon, English and Aromatic. I usually need to re-light a dozen times over an hour long smoke, which I don't find very enjoyable. On the positive side all my pipes smoke cool and dry and the tobacco burns down evenly until the very end. I get almost no dottle and close to zero gurgle (I have had two tiny gurgles for the totality of six or seven bowls). So i guess I am not doing everything wrong. In my brief experience the Frank method gives me a better smoke than the three layer method.

Hearing about how many times all of you have to relight makes me feel a little better and think that there is hope. I found the advice particularly interesting that the tobacco should just smolder to develop the best taste, implying that relighting often is prerable to a seriously hot fire that keeps the tobacco burning throughout.

Till


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